Pool or billiard apparatus.



Patented July I5, I902;

T. R. LOWERRE.

POOL 0R BILLIARB APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 22, 1901,)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Modef.)

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No. 704,892. Patented luiy I5, 1902. T. B. LOWEBRE.

POOL 0B BILLIARD APPARATUS.

(Application filed. Nov. 22, 1901.) um Mgdel.) r 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

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I} Mlillil" 7- W INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESSES: 6.461.967 aiw, )h 7 nw wt'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS nosnnr LOWERRE, or NEW YOR 'N. Y.

POOL OR BILLIARD APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,892, dated July 15,1902. Application 51nd November 22,1901. Serial in. 33.223. (No model.)

To mu ch/0m it may concern/.-

Be it known that-I, THOMAS ROBERT Low- ERRE, a citizen of theUnitedStates of America, and a resident of the borough of Bronx, NewYork city,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Pool or Billiard Apparatus, of which the following is'aspecification.

My invention consists of improved appliances to ordinary plain tables ofcommon use, either round or rectangular, whereby they may be readily andsimply converted into practicable pool andbilliard tables, saidappliances being readily detachable for restoring the tables to thenormal conditions, thus providing convenience for family games-at theexpense of very little outlay, as hereinafter described, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawings, in which*-- Figure l is a plan viewof a rectangular table equipped with my improved appliances for pool..Fig. 2 is a plan view of a like table equipped with the major part ofsaid appliancestor billiards. Fig. 3 is a plan viewof part of a roundtable with a modified forin ofra part of the said appliances foradaptation to such form of tables. Fig. 4; is a perspectiveview of theappliances for one end (the left-hand, Fig. l) of the table adapted forpool and drawn to a larger scale for greater clearness and with dottedlines indicating the adj ustment of the cords for billiards. .Fig. 5 isa perspective view representing the construction of aside-pocketattaching and "supporting bracket with some parts broken out. Fig. 6 isa perspective view of a modified form of bracket for side pocketsadapted for round tables. Fig. 7 is a detail in section on line 7 7,Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a wrench for stretchingthe cords that serve for the cushions of the ordinary pool and billiardtables. Fig. 9 is a detail in section on line 9 9 in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe corner appliances adapted to a round table.

In Fig. l a rectangular table A is represented with the appliancesarranged for pool. In Fig. 2 the same table A is represented with theappliances arranged for billiards, and in Fig. 3 part of a round table Ais represented with so much of the appliances as are shown arranged forpool.

" There are four detachably-connected cornor-brackets for holding andstraining the cushion-cords a and b and for holding the.

corner-pockets c for use in the pool-game; two of which brackets aremarked B on the drawings and two are marked B, and there are two sidebrackets B for holding the side pockets c.

The corner-brackets have angle-pieces cl for bearing against theframe-pieces e of the tables under the projecting edges f. of thetable-top, on which angle-pieces uprights g are carried, which supportarm-plates h h, reaching inward from the edge of the table along the topover the extremities of the angle-piece, respectively, said arm-platescarrying at their inner ends posts; and 1', respectively, which arecircumferentially grooved,

as at j, directly below theirupper ends.

At the inner edge of the upright g, carrying the arm-plate 71., anotherpost Z, similarly grooved near the top, is carried, also a lug m, saidlug supporting one end of a curved wire rim n, the other end of which issupported on a like lug m, similarly curved on the corresponding part gof the other end of the anglepiece cl, whereon is another post Z, andbetween this post l and post '17- on each armplate h. is another.similarly-grooved post 0.

The wire pocket-supporting rim hasone or more coils 12 near each end foryieldingly -supporting the pocket to avoidshocks when the balls areforcibly thrust in.

The brackets B are placed opposite each other in one diagonal line ofthe-table and thebrackets B opposite each other in the other diagonalline. Brackets Bf have one fastening-stud q for cord a and another one qfor cord b,and brackets B have tension-spools s s for each of thesecords, respectively, with which ratchets t and pawls a are provided tohold the cords in tension,said cords being suit-. .1'

ably connected to said spools for being wound thereon, as best shown inFigs. 4 and '7, and as it is'needful to maintain high tension of thecords the spools are provided with clutchstuds *0 for the application ofa wrench, as w,

will keep their places if both cords a and b are equally strainedtogether by the spools s s; but all the corner-brackets may have such astud, if desired.

The brackets B for the side pockets 0 on a rectangular table arenecessarily of somewhat different construction. They consist of astraight piece d to bear against the edge of the table-top, with an armk to reach over and rest on the table-top and a clamp-arm h to reachunder the table-top, and having a set-screw h to take effect on theunder side of the table.

The outer ends of the arms have lugs m to carry the Wire pocket-rims n,and below said lugs are other projecting lugs g of the piece d aroundwhich to pass the cords a under the pockets 0 from one to the other ofthe posts 5 on the arms 71 around which said cords pass to hold thebracket and the pocket in position on the table.

The bracket for the side pocket on the round table consists of the horseshoe-shaped piece d preferably having a wide base d for resting on thetable,with a post 8 at the upper side of each extremity and a rim 8along the upper side of the middle portion between which to string thecord in and out, as represented in Fig. 6, to hold the bracket inposition,said posts and rim being suitably grooved forretainingthecord.Thebracketwillinthis case constitute to some extent a pocket also,inasmuch as it is not feasible to employ a side pocket 0 on a roundtable, because its location must be so far inward from the edge of thetable that a bracket of such extent as would enable the pocket to besuspended from the edge of the table would be objectionable on accountof size; but such construction may be employed, if desired.

It will be seen that the pocket-suspending rims are located sufficientlyhigh to enable the pockets suspended from them to receive the ballsproperly, said pockets being practically the same as the commonbilliard-table pockets.

In the adjustment for pool (shown in Fig. 1) from each diagonallyopposite corner-bracket B is stretched from its attaching-post q a cordat around posts Z and 2' along one side of the table, around posts 8 andunder lugs g of side brackets B thence around posts 1' and Z totension-spool s of the bracket 13 at the other end of the table, andanother cord 1) is stretched from the attaching-post q of said bracket Baround posts a" and Z along one end. of the table to and around posts 2"and Z of corner-bracket B at the other side of the table and thence tothe tension-spool s of said bracket B, so that the cords stretched onposts '0' and t" for cushions to the balls afford passage-ways into thepockets.

For the billiard adjustment (represented in Fig. 2) cords to aresimilarly stretched around posts Z and t" of brackets B, and 11 and Z ofbrackets B, the side brackets 13 being omitted, and cords b arestretched around Z and 0 of brackets B to posts 0 and Z of brackets B,thus cutting off the pockets.

It is to be noted that the brackets are attachable to the tables withthe usual tablecovers y in position and so as to hold them suitablystretched for utilizing them for the billiard-table covers.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with a plain table,of detachably-connected corner-brackets havin g pockets and groovedcord-retainin g posts, cords to be stretched on said posts suitably forcushioning pool and billiard balls, and means for fastening andstretching said cords, said posts comprising a system whereon thecushioning-cords also define passages conducting the balls into lateralpockets.

2. The combination with a plain table, of detachably-connectedcorner-brackets having grooved cord-retaining posts, cords to bestretched on said posts suitably for cushioning pool and billiard balls,and means for fastening and stretching said cords, said posts comprisinga system whereon the cushioningcords also define passages conducting theballs into lateral pockets, and other posts whereon together with a partof the posts of said system the cords cut 0d said passages.

3. The combination with a plain table, of detachably-connectedcorner-brackets having grooved cord-retaining posts, cords to bestretched on said posts suitably for cushioning pool and billiard balls,and means for fastening and stretching said cords, the means forfastening the cords being on opposite brackets of one diagonal line ofthe table, and the means for stretching the cords being on the oppositebrackets of the other diagonal line of said table, and consisting of aWinding-spool and retaining-ratchet each, for one side cord and one endcord respectively.

4. The combination with a plain table, of detachably-connectedcorner-brackets having grooved cord-retaining posts, adapted forstretchingcords thereon for cushioning pool-balls, said cords, means forfastening and stretching them, and pockets suspended from the bracketsfor the balls, said cords also adapted for directing the balls into thepockets.

5. The combination with a plain table, of detachably-connectedcorner-brackets and side brackets having grooved cord-retaining postsadapted for stretching cords thereon for cushioning pool-balls, saidcords, means on the corner-brackets for fastening and stretching thecords, and pockets suspended from the brackets for the balls, said cordsadapted for directing the balls into the pockets.

6. The combination with a plain table, of detachably connected cornerbrackets and side brackets having grooved retaining-posts adapted forstretching cords thereon for cushioning pool-balls, said cords, means onthe corner-brackets for fastening and stretching the cords, and pocketssuspended from the brackets for the balls, said cords adapted fordirecting the balls into the pockets, and the cords connected with theside brackets extended from one to the other of the retaining-posts ofsaid brackets under the mouth of said pockets.

7. The combination with a plain table, of the diagonally-placeddetachably-connected brackets B, each having the cord-supporting postscl 2', Z, Z, and 0, and the stretching and retaining spools and ratchetsthe conversely diagonally placed brackets B each having likecord-supporting posts c e" and Z Z, the cord-fastening studs q, q andthe cords a, b. S. The combination with a plain table, of thediagonally-placed detachably-connected brackets B, each having thecord-supporting posts 41, '11 and Z, Z, and the stretching and retainingspools and ratchets; the conversely diagonally placed detachablyconnected brackets B each having like cord-supporting posts i, i, and Z,Z, and the cord-fastening studs q, q, the cords a, b, the side brackets13 andthe pockets suspended from the brackets. 9. The combination with aplain table, of the diagonally-placed detachably-connected brackets B,each having the cord-supporting posts t, i, and Z, Z, and the stretchingand retaining spools and ratchet; the conversely diagonally placeddetachably connected brackets B each having like cord-sup porting posts2', '5', and Z, Z", and the cord-fastening studs q, q, the cords a, b,the side brackets B and the pockets suspended from the brackets, saidside brackets consisting of the part 01, arms 71 711 posts s and theoutwardlyprojecting studs (1 10. The combination with the cord andpocket supporting brackets adapted for detachable application to a plaintable each of the pocket-rim-supporting lugs, pocket-rim therein, andthe pocket supported by said irimand adapted for use in connection withsaid table as a pocket for pool or billiard balls. Signed at New Yorkcity this 12th day of October, 1901. c

YVitnesses:

A. P. THAYER, C. SEDGWICK.

